Record rainfall threatens spring crops at Brockton area farms

Tuesday

Mar 30, 2010 at 12:01 AMMar 30, 2010 at 12:35 AM

The month has already set six daily rainfall records, and the record March rainfall of 13.07 inches set in 2001 has already fallen. Through Saturday, the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton had registered 13.17 inches.

Amy Littlefield

By now, the fields at Hanson Farm are usually filled with freshly planted peas, beets and radishes. But heavy rain has brought the Bridgewater farm to a standstill.

“We haven’t planted peas yet because it’s been raining and you can’t work in this weather,” said co-owner David Hanson, adding that he has also been unable to lay down any fertilizer.

“We’re looking at this setting us back at least a week on the initial work that we’ve got to get done,” he said.

Hanson said he would typically be out planting lettuce, carrots and other early crops.

Instead, he spent Monday boxing eggs and cleaning out animal pens.

The month has already set six daily rainfall records, and the record March rainfall of 13.07 inches set in 2001 has already fallen. Through Saturday, the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton had registered 13.17 inches.

Local farmers say it’s too early to know whether this month’s rain will stall the summer harvest. Heavy rain has been known to wipe out whole crops of fruit and vegetables, but a dry summer could also put stored rainwater to use.

“I’m not too concerned yet,” said Hanson. “I’m not too concerned that we wouldn’t have peas by the first of July, even if we are a week off.”

At C.N. Smith Farm in East Bridgewater, the Matfield River washed up onto the fields. A section of Bridge Street near the farm washed away in the March 13-15 storm, forcing cars on a detour.

“This has got to end at some point in order for us to consider doing any planting,” said owner Chris Smith, adding that he usually plants peas and some corn in early April.

The storm is not expected to end until Wednesday, with three to six inches of rain predicted. Some areas of southeastern Massachusetts may see up to eight inches, according to Jeremiah Pyle, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Pyle said flooding could be even more serious than it was during the March 13-15 storm, since the ground is already saturated.

But better weather is on the horizon. Sun and temperatures in the high 70s are predicted from Thursday through Sunday.

“We’re expecting pretty much amazing weather into next weekend,” said Pyle.

The warm weather is great news for homeowners with wet basements, but it can be bad news for farmers.

Smith said warm weather this month has already brought his blueberries, apples, plums and peaches close to budding, making them vulnerable to any late frosts.

“When it warms up, you want it to stay warm,” said Smith. “It almost always gets really cold the first or second week in April. We have the potential set-up right now for a problem.”

Both Smith and Hanson are concerned that this year could be a repeat of last summer, when heavy rain ruined crops.

Smith said his whole strawberry crop was ruined, as well as many of his vegetables.

“This seems to be a continuation of that in my opinion,” he said.

But New England farmers are accustomed to extremes. Hanson points out that the summer could swing the other way with a dry spell that would drain irrigation ponds now filled to the brim.

“Even though the ponds are fuller than full, we could pump them down to nothing by the end of July,” said Hanson.